From the Archive: Cadillac, Jaguar, and Benz Square Off in a 1992 Luxurious-Convertible Showdown

From the July 1992 subject of Car and Driver.

You ought to in all probability be sitting down whenever you learn what these automobiles value. We all know that Cadillac, Jaguar, and Mercedes-Benz make fascinating vehicles and that convertibles are all the time premium fashions. And there isn’t any query that the Allanté, the XJS, and the 300SL have nice attraction. But all of them have critical shortcomings, too. We’re unsure that must be allowed at these costs.

Look what the mixed efforts of car-company entrepreneurs and authorities revenuers have carried out. Counting producer’s urged retail worth, freight, gas-guzzler penalty, and luxurious tax, the Jaguar XJS convertible now prices practically $72,000. And apart from the folding prime and quite a few element refinements, it’s the identical primary automobile the corporate launched in 1975: elegant, sure, but additionally heavy, cramped, and thirsty. And it is nonetheless hobbled by the identical slushy GM three-speed automated transmission—which GM give up utilizing generations in the past.

The Mercedes-Benz 300SL is the latest design right here and clearly essentially the most fashionable. But it’s also essentially the most flagrantly priced automobile, at an astounding $90,335. That hit would maybe be a little bit simpler to take if a $12,000 Ford Escort LX-E did not trounce the ostensibly sporty Benz by a full second in 0-to-60 and the standing quarter-mile.

Then there’s the Cadillac Allanté, the bargain-basement ragtop of this group at $64,843. The new Northstar four-cam V-8 is a gem, however Allantés have been too costly ever for the reason that authentic was launched at $56,000 (in 1986 {dollars}). Even if its rivals’ worth will increase have considerably outstripped its personal, the Allanté forges on into the $60,000 bracket with its versatile construction and problematic prime nonetheless intact.

Of course, these are flash automobiles, chosen by emotion greater than logic. But each judgment of an car should be made with one eye on the asking worth. With that firmly in thoughts, we set off with these unique convert­ibles: the brand new 1993 Allanté, with its 32-valve V-8 engine, friendlier seats, and revamped rear suspension (C/D, February 1992); the XJS, which sports activities some subtly revised sheetmetal and a reworked inte­rior (C/D, July 1991); and the three.0-liter six-cylinder model of Mercedes’ SL two-seater, unchanged since its 1990 debut (C/D, September 1989). We gath­ered efficiency information at Willow Springs Raceway and ran up a zillion miles loop­ing by way of the coastal mountains to Ojai and Santa Barbara earlier than droning again to Los Angeles. Then we contemplated the which means of all of it, and let the scores fall the place they may.

And fall they did. Note that the Overall Rating numbers, in addi­tion to clustering virtually too near name, barely broke out of the low eighties. The win­ning rating was the bottom in current comparison-test historical past. It’s virtually a disgrace to quote winners and losers beneath such circumstances, however right here is our name.

third Place: Jaguar XJS V12

Many of us have lengthy had a spot in our hearts for the velvety V-12 Jaguar sports activities tourer. The XJS loved an exten­sive, if delicate, rework for 1992, incorporat­ing new headlamps, taillamps, and grille, plus faintly bolder contouring of the rocker panels and hood bulge. (The coupe model additionally had its rear-quarter home windows reshaped.) And a whole refurbish inside included new power-adjustable seats, a brand new wheel, and a brand new instrument panel with correct spherical gauges set in walnut.

HIGHS: Great to be seen in, rides just like the QE2.
LOWS: Too many particulars feeling too dated.
VERDICT: There will all the time be an England; this XJS, too?

Despite the upgrades, nevertheless, the XJS stays an growing older design. Modern effi­ciencies—0f house, weight, and power—go unrecognized by this regal conveyance. The enormous engine/transmission meeting squeezes passenger house, and the conver­sion to a soft-top rework an already weighty two-plus-two coupe right into a stag­geringly heavy (4160-pound) two-seater­—one which turned a gallon of unleaded premium into warmth and smog each 13 miles on our journey.

Does all this imply we did not like driv­ing the XJS convertible? Hardly. The massive Jag rides superbly, it has a smooth look and a stately demeanor, it makes respectable time over most roads, and it’s in some ways essentially the most flattering automobile of this group to be seen in. Though the steer­ing feels extra imprecise and sluggish than we like, the automobile might be guided by way of bends with fantastic stability—spectacular, given the extraordinarily mushy suspension. And any time the tach is displaying over 4000 rpm, the large V-12 can ship good thrust. So cer­tainly for posing, cruising, touring, and swooping by way of the mountains at a six-tenths tempo, the XJS does the job.

But for five.3 liters and a quoted 276 horsepower, the large twelve would not ship a lot kick. Only the presence of the embarrassingly underpowered 300SL saved the XJS from the fallacious form of efficiency distinction on this check. And the V-12 will get little assist from the Turbo-Hydramatic three-speed auto­matic; this transmis­sion works fantastic by decade-old requirements, however at present its shifts really feel lazy and its selector lever balky.

The Jag scores fairly properly as a con­vertible. It suffers solely minor drafts within the open cockpit, and its easy-to-manage prime mechanism—guide latches and energy up-down, however a too-tight snap-on boot—is surpassed right here solely by the Mercedes’ magical one-touch system. In physique stiff­ness, although, the XJS takes the booby prize, flexing and shaking greater than the others.

Frankly, for anybody who would not must have a convertible, the XJS coupe makes a vastly higher car, with a lot larger structural rigidity, extra use­ful house, 200 fewer kilos, and a pricetag $7000 friendlier.

1992 Jaguar XJS V12
290-hp V-8, 3-speed automated, 4815 lb
Base/as-tested worth: $71,888/$71,888
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 8.7 sec
1/4-mile: 16.7 sec @ 87 mph
100 mph: 22.3 sec
120 mph: 45.9 sec
Braking, 70­–0 mph: 179 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.73 g
C/D noticed gas economic system: 13 mpg

2nd Place: Mercedes-Benz 300SL

Hopping into at present’s Mercedes two­-seater and feeling the solidity and high quality, we might virtually forgive Daimler-Benz for dragging the hallowed 300SL identify down off its pedestal and thrusting it into the melee of the fashionable market. Then we stood on the throttle for a fast getaway and acquired all steamed up once more. This factor ought to have been a minimum of a 320SL, utilizing the three.2-liter six now fitted within the 300SE. That engine’s fourteen-percent torque benefit can be a assist as a result of, as it’s, the SL’s 3980 kilos fully overwhelm the poor little 3.0-liter six.

HIGHS: Body rigidity, five-speed automated, robo-top.
LOWS: Too many bucks, too few horses.
VERDICT: Makes the $107,000 500SL appear to be a must-buy.

Get previous its acceleration fee, although, and the 300SL begins piling on rationales for its surprising sticker. The obvious stiff­ness of its physique construction is exceptional, with solely a uncommon trace of shudder within the cowl. The chassis is way and away essentially the most superior and greatest settled on this group, giving the SL a safe, confidence-inspir­ing chuckability over quick, undulating roads of any floor, in addition to a fantastic free­approach journey. Its comfy seats—extra like occupant-support methods, actually—incorporate the entire safety-belt mechanism plus the standard energy changes. Each unit in all probability prices and weighs as a lot as a Hyundai. Then there’s the pop-up roll­over bar, the clear physique strains, the top quality of the end—on and on.

And do not forget that prime, the simplest and trickest in creation. Hold a single however­ton on the middle console and watch with surprise as eleven solenoids, fifteen hydraulic servos, and seventeen proximity switches run their routine, throwing latches, elevating panels, cranking the highest as bidden, and buttoning all the things down. Amazing. (Yeah, we all know Nineteen Sixties Lincolns did the identical factor. But they did not include an automated roll bar, did they?) The Mercedes additionally features a detachable laborious prime—an amenity that’s $2000 further with the Cadillac and never supplied in any respect with the Jaguar.

And give credit score the place it is due: although the 300SL lagged behind the Allanté and XJS in all assessments of acceleration and pace, it cleaned home in braking distance, skid­pad grip, and gas economic system (in line with each the EPA’s check cycle and our journey log).

So there isn’t any query the 300SL deliv­ers some worth. But on this comparability, and contemplating that lofty worth, it wasn’t sufficient to bag all of the chips.

1992 Mercedes-Benz 300SL
228-hp inline-6, 5-speed automated, 3980 lb
Base/as-tested worth: $90,335/$90,335
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 8.8 sec
1/4-mile: 17.0 sec @ 85 mph
100 mph: 25.0 sec
120 mph: 48.5 sec
Braking, 70­–0 mph: 175 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.80 g
C/D noticed gas economic system: 19 mpg

1st Place: Cadillac Allanté

Cadillac’s Pininfarina-made Allanté roadster has all the time appeared too posh to be a sports activities automobile however too brash to be a luxurious cruiser. It focused the two-seat Mercedes on worth, efficiency, and accommoda­tions however has by no means had the substance to go head-to-head with the high-quality, high-­resale-value Benz.

A half-dozen years after its launch, nevertheless, the Allanté has inherited an enormous worth benefit. With the SL breaking by way of $90,000 (even within the “cheap” six­-cylinder kind examined right here), the brand new Allanté’s 1993 base worth of $64,843—together with the necessary luxurious and gasoline­-guzzler taxes—instantly seems to be virtually affordable.

HIGHS: Great new powertrain, pleasant dealing with.
LOWS: Shaky construction, bland inside, fussy prime.
VERDICT: Still expensive, however a good worth by comparability.

But even greater information for 1993, and the factor that makes the Allanté lastly value tak­ing significantly, is the arrival of the much-anticipated Northstar V-8. This spectacular new 4.6-liter powerplant brings Lexus/Infiniti-class expertise, energy, and smoothness to the home camp, although the Allanté’s Italian physique meeting will get it classed an import. This sensible all-aluminum multivalver delivers 290 horsepower by way of a slick and responsive new four-speed automated.

In each contest of pace and response, Cadillac’s Allanté has it everywhere in the Mercedes 300SL and the Jaguar XJS. Punching the Northstar’s throttle to leap right into a gap in visitors on Santa Barbara’s crowded State Street, or to launch out of a sluggish bend on serpentine Highway 33, all the time introduced an efficient boot within the again. And a pleasant exhaust growl, too.

Though 290 horsepower seems like an excessive amount of to ship by way of entrance wheels, the Allanté’s new chassis manages the chal­lenge simply fantastic. There are reworked struts in entrance and unequal-length arms changing the previous struts in again, plus variable damping that reads and reacts to wheel journey in quasi-active style. The automobile doesn’t have the sense of near-perfect stability and fantastic damping of the 300SL, and it cer­tainly would not have the construction, however the Allanté feels simple, pure, and prepared when the corners are developing thick and quick. Stopping distances with our check automobile had been on the lengthy aspect, due maybe to tire selection or the automobile’s excessive ahead weight bias. But in any other case, the sportiest Cad per­shaped with distinction.

Even if it scored properly sufficient to win right here, although, the Allanté nonetheless offers us some issues to surprise about. Such as, do its prospects actually like an instrument panel that is all straight strains, proper angles, and fields of equivalent buttons? Is its inte­rior trim wealthy sufficient for this worth vary? Couldn’t the construction be tightened up? Don’t the proprietary GM ignition change and transmission selector really feel sloppy in a $60,000 car? And why did the operated by hand, power-latched prime match as if it had been a half-size too small, forcing us into energetic tips to get each ends hooked up?

Ah, properly, perhaps we’re being too laborious on this stuff. Cars like these could come up brief on regular automotive worth, however they don’t seem to be actually regular vehicles. These are boutique automobiles, bought largely as style equipment. You do not buy an Armani go well with to maintain heat.

The actuality is, an open automobile will all the time be extra complicated and dear to create, and it might probably hardly keep away from being heavier, much less sturdy, much less environment friendly, and fewer comfy on account of its convertibility. That hin­ders the automobile’s effectiveness, but it surely is not actually an argument for eliminating the open-air choice. There is one thing unde­niably opulent about an costly automobile with its prime folded away and its occupants on show.

For the suitable individuals (rich, and can­ing to look it) and the suitable missions (ten­nis, lunch, buying, or a cruise down the Coast Highway to Sunday breakfast), the Allanté, the XJS, or the 300SL might work simply dandy. But you will simply need to forgive the producers if the daring costs of this trio appear to vow a broader repertoire than that.

1993 Cadillac Allanté
290-hp V-8, 4-speed automated, 3720 lb
Base/as-tested worth: $64,843/$64,843 (est.)
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 6.2 sec
1/4 mile: 14.8 sec @ 95 mph
100 mph: 16.7 sec
120 mph: 27.0 sec
Braking, 70­–0 mph: 196 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.77 g
C/D noticed gas economic system: 16 mpg